Quality of life and social issues in older depressed patients.

Depression is a common disorder in old age, affecting at least 10% of individuals over 65. In older people, the relationship between depression and impaired social functioning and quality of life is complex and ill defined. Despite well-tolerated and effective treatments, many depressed individuals are undiagnosed or under-treated. The impact of depression on the quality of life (QOL) and social functioning of older people can be considerable. Furthermore, impairment of social functioning, consequent on the social isolation and functional disability that goes hand-in-hand with ageing, may be a causative factor in old age depression. Once depression develops, it may result in further narrowing of social repertoire, compounding the problem. Notwithstanding some of the difficulties in measuring social functioning and quality of life, progress has been made in defining the extent of these problems in older depressed individuals. The impact treatment of depression has on these parameters is becoming increasingly recognised and evaluated in clinical trials.